Perhaps the bitterest feeling of all was that her love should have been so much stronger, so much more enduring than his own.  He could not but remember how in his first agony he had blamed her because she had declared that they should be severed.  He had then told himself that such severing would be to him impossible, and that her nature been as high as his, it would have been as impossible to her.  Which nature must he now regard as the higher?  She had done her best to rid herself of the load of her passion and had failed.  But he had freed himself with convenient haste.  All that he had said as the manliness of conquering grief had been wise enough.  But still he could not quit himself of some feeling of disgrace in that he had changed and she had not.  He tried to comfort himself with reflecting that Mary was all his own,—­that in the matter he had been victorious and happy;—­but for an hour or two he thought more of Mabel than Mary.

When the time came in which he could employ himself he called for Silverbridge, and they walked together across the park to Westminster.  Silverbridge was gay and full of eagerness as to the coming ministerial statement, but Tregear could not turn his mind from the work of the morning.  ’I don’t seem to care very much about it,’ he said at last.

‘I do care very much,’ said Silverbridge.

‘What difference will it make?’

’I breakfasted with the governor this morning, and I have not seen him in such good spirits since,—­well for a long time.’  The date to which Silverbridge would have referred, had he not checked himself was that of the evening on which it had been agreed between him and his father that Mabel Grex should be promoted to the seat of the highest honour in the house of Palliser,—­but that was a matter which must henceforward be buried in silence.  ’He did not say much, but I feel perfectly sure that he and Mr Monk have arranged a new government.’

’I don’t see any matter for joy in that to Conservatives like you and me.’

’He is my father,—­and as he is going to be your father-in-law I should have thought that you would have been pleased.’

’Oh, yes;—­if he likes it.  But I have heard so often of the crushing cares of office, and I had thought that of all living men he had been the most crushed by them.’

All that had to be done in the House of Commons on that afternoon was finished before five o’clock.  By half-past five the House, and all the purlieus of the House, were deserted.  And yet at four, immediately after prayers, there had been such a crowd that members had been unable to find seats!  Tregear and Silverbridge having been early succeeded, but those who had been less careful were obliged to listen as best they could in the galleries.  The stretching out of necks and the holding of hands behind the ears did not last long.  Sir Timothy had not much to say, but what he did say was spoken with dignity